HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team will host the 2021 Tiger Classic this weekend (Sept. 10-11) inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Six teams will compete in a total of 12 matches on two courts across the two days of action.
First serve each day is slated for 10 a.m. with a pair of neutral site contests before the Tigers play at 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day. A full schedule can be found below.
Fort Hays State opens the weekend against 16th-ranked Southwest Minnesota State at 1:30 p.m. Friday before hosting Cameron at 5 p.m. The Tigers will return to the court Saturday to battle Black Hills State at 1:30 p.m. before wrapping things up at 5 p.m. against Adams State.
Tickets are available in advance via the links above or at the gate and are good for an entire day of action, but separate tickets must be purchased for Friday and Saturday.
Live video and live stats will also be available throughout the weekend via the links above.
Participating Teams (2021 record)
FHSU - Fort Hays State (2-2)
ASU - Adams State (2-3)
BHSU - Black Hills State (2-2)
CU - Cameron (1-4)
ESU - Emporia State (0-3)
SMSU - No. 16 Southwest Minnesota State (4-0)
Schedule
Friday, September 10
Court 1 (South)
10 a.m. – BHSU vs SMSU
1:30 p.m. – FHSU vs SMSU
5 p.m. – FHSU vs CU
Court 2 (North)
10 a.m. – ASU vs ESU
1:30 p.m. – CU vs ASU
5 p.m. – ESU vs BHSU
Saturday, September 11
Court 1 (South)
10 a.m. – CU vs BHSU
1:30 p.m. – FHSU vs BHSU
5 p.m. – FHSU vs ASU
Court 2 (North)
10 a.m. – SMSU vs ESU
1:30 p.m. – SMSU vs ASU
5 p.m. – ESU vs CU
Home team listed first
Matches may be moved up by mutual agreement of both teams and referee crew
Tale of the Tigers
-Fort Hays State opened the year with two wins and two losses last weekend in Pueblo, Colo. at the Steel City Showcase.
-The Tigers defeated Minnesota-Crookston and UMary in straight sets while falling to CSU-Pueblo and Chadron State.
-Isabelle Reynolds and Emily Ellis were both named to the All-Tournament team.
-Reynolds led the team with 28 kills and six service aces while ranking second with 29 digs. She also added four blocks on defense. The senior is tied for fourth in the MIAA with an average of 0.5 service aces per frame.
-Ellis posted a highly-effective .370 attack percentage, leading the team and ranking eighth in the conference thanks to 23 kills and just six errors on 46 attempts.
-Elysia Glowacz ranks 12th in the conference with 5.0 assists per set, tossing up 60 assists through the first four contests.
-The Tigers hit .174 as a team over week one while holding opponents to a .165 attack percentage.
-FHSU averages 11.3 kills, 10.7 assists, 1.3 service aces, 12.8 digs and 1.7 blocks per set.
Series History
-The Tigers are 3-5 all-time against Southwest Minnesota State. This is the first meeting between the Tigers and Mustangs since 2006.
-FHSU is 7-3 all-time against Cameron in a series that began in 1980. The Aggies have won the last two contests, including a win in the most recent meeting in 2015. Prior to that, the Tigers were victorious in seven-straight spanning 1988-2010.
-Fort Hays State is 3-1 all-time against Black Hills State, including the lone Yellow Jacket victory coming in the most recent meeting in 2018.
-The Tigers are 11-15 all-time against former RMAC rival Adams State. This is the first meeting between the Grizzlies and Tigers since FHSU moved to the MIAA in 2006. The last contest in the series came in 2005, a four-set Adams State victory.
Scouting the Opposition
No. 16 Southwest Minnesota State
-The Mustangs are off to a 4-0 record after dropping just one set at the Colorado School of Mines Classic last weekend.
-SMSU knocked off a pair of ranked opponents, including No. 10 Colorado Mesa and No. 12 Colorado School of Mines.
-Angela Young leads the Mustangs with 56 kills thanks to a .336 attack percentage.
-Alisa Bengen has distributed 139 assists this season, averaging 10.7 assists per set.
-The Mustangs carry a team attack percentage of .301 while averaging 14.2 kills, 2.5 aces, 12.8 digs and 2.5 blocks per set.
-SMSU was picked to finish seventh in the NSIC preseason coaches poll.
Cameron
-The Aggies head to Hays with a 1-4 record after opening the year in Topeka last weekend.
-Cameron held off Minot State in five sets, while three of the losses came against ranked opponents (No. 8 Washburn, No. 25 Rockhurst, No. 19 Harding).
-Alanni Carter leads the team with 52 kills, averaging 2.7 per set, and eight service aces.
-Cameron splits the setting duties, with Noemie Narbonne leading the way with 3.4 assists per set.
-As a team, the Aggies swing at a .112 rate and average 8.6 kills, 10.9 digs and 1.7 blocks per set.
-Cameron was picked to finish 17th in the LSC preseason coaches poll.
Black Hills State
-Black Hills State opened the year at home last weekend, going 2-2 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. BHSU defeated Minnesota State Moorhead and Bemidji State while falling to Montana State Billings and Saint Martin's.
-Madison Hoopman leads the Yellow Jackets with 44 kills on the year, averaging 2.8 per set.
-Mariah Robinson boasts a team-best .229 attack percentage thanks to 26 kills on 70 swings.
-Karly Marx (80 assists, 5.3 per set) and Emma DeSanti (61 assists, 4.7 per set) alternate setting duties in the Yellow Jacket offense.
-Black Hills State hits .115 as a unit while averaging 10.1 kills, 1.7 service aces, 15.1 digs and 1.5 blocks per set.
-The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish 10th in the RMAC preseason coaches poll.
Adams State
-After opening the season 1-3 at the Britkare Lady Buff Classic in Canyon, Texas, Adams State upset second-ranked Angelo State in straight sets earlier this week in Alamosa. The Grizzlies enter the weekend 2-3 overall.
-Sai Collins leads the team with 59 kills this year, averaging 3.1 per set.
-Shannon Mulkey has accumulated 47 kills thanks to a team-best .313 attack percentage.
-Bailey Schlosser tosses up an average of 9.4 assists per set, leading the team with 151 assists this season.
-The Grizzlies hold a team attack percentage of .210 while averaging 12.2 kills, 1.1 service aces, 13.1 digs and 2.2 blocks per set.
-Adams State was picked to finish 14th in the RMAC preseason coaches poll.
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